Last Minute Advice requested

Liz and I are having several couples over tomorrow evening for an informal wine tasting. Everyone's going to bring their favorite varietal; it'll be after the dinner hour and we'll just have light finger food. I do not have enough glasses to give everyone more than one red wine glass and one white wine glass which makes side-by-side comparisons difficult. Any recommendations as to how I should proceed would be greatly appreciated and give me one less thing to worry about.

Jon,
When we have more people than glasses, we shamelessly ask our neighbors to bring some with them. If that is not an option, any local restaurant supply store might sell wine glasses for a buck each. That way you are not grieving if any guest or the family pet break a few. IKEA nearby?
-Shaji

I often find decent, utilitarian stemware at Dollar Tree. http://www.dollartree.com/kitchen-tableware/drinkware/213c264/index.cat

I have a stash of Ikea glasses for this very purpose. A six pack of Svalkas is $5 (the red ones are better than the white). I find them to be a decent enough all around glass for these things.

K.

[Robin Garr]

Another option, a lot of "rent-all" places around here have all sorts of party supplies, including generic wine glasses. They're not horribly expensive, as I recall.

[Jenise]

Buy new glassware if you think what you have is sub-par to what most of your guests usually drink out of. Otherwise, as time is short and you own an assortment, just put out the glasses and invite them to select their weapon. Most will probably choose whatever is the most like what they drink out of at home, and be happy with that.

Howie, friends here bought some cheap stemware at a Dollar Tree. Lookswise they would just do, no big deal, but they're so thick and heavy that with wine in them, they're a bit hard to pick up and balance. As a strong man that might not cause you any problems, but for a woman with small wrists it's not so easy. Then of course, you might have found something better than what my friends bought.

Any recommendations as to how I should proceed would be greatly appreciated and give me one less thing to worry about.

Give each of them one red and one white wine glass. Provide a pitcher of water and a dump bucket. Open the wines and let them figure it out. If they complain don't invite them back.

Thank you, everyone. I think I'll go with Sam's idea, especially the "If they complain don't invite them back." part

i used to belong to a group that had big tastings and everyone was told to bring 6 glasses and the wines were served in flights of 6 wines. no reason not to have people bring their own. i DO think you are going to regret another part of the format, however. they will bring their favorite varietal and one or two will bring good versions and one or two will bring 2 Buck Chuck or similar. the ones who bring good ones won't make that same mistake next time and things will deteriorate - with many dropping out. this assumes you want to make this a regular event.

[Jenise]

Thank you, everyone. I think I'll go with Sam's idea, especially the "If they complain don't invite them back." part

And Sam was right. I misread your post initially, thinking you had said you only had enough for each person to have one or the other. With both, yeah, they'll be just fine.

Any recommendations as to how I should proceed would be greatly appreciated and give me one less thing to worry about.

Give each of them one red and one white wine glass. Provide a pitcher of water and a dump bucket. Open the wines and let them figure it out. If they complain don't invite them back.

Sam, are you running for forum curmudgeon? Are you trying to oust me from that position? I am with you on your suggestion.

Sam, are you running for forum curmudgeon? Are you trying to oust me from that position? I am with you on your suggestion.

You're the master, Bob. I can only do my best to help take care of your light work.